Album Details

• Artist: Aa Bondy
• Album: When The Devil's Loose
• Label: Fat Possum
• Year of Release: 2009
• ME Rating:
• Reviewed by: soundaslanguage on 2009-12-10

After his rock n' roll run in Verbena, A.A. Bondy's debut album, American Hearts, was about as pleasant a surprise as a record can be. But it is one thing to sneak up on people with a great record than it is to produce another great one after the expectations have been raised. Yet, you get the feeling that none of that really matters to Bondy. He has been through the industry ringers already and come out better and more assured on the other side. If American Hearts did not convince you of that When The Devil's Loose definitely should.

Bondy's transformation into a folk troubadour is nothing short of amazing. He is a natural that was obviously born to play this style. When The Devil's Loose picks up right where American Hearts left off with only subtle sonic departures. Bondy's dark observations on the tried and true Southern topics of death and religion may not be anything new but the results are nevertheless affecting. His superb songwriting and delivery makes these songs beautifully haunting. Atmospheric brush strokes softly enhance When The Devil's Loose and it is apparent that Bondy's palette has been sharpened ever so slightly. What is most refreshing to hear in an artist such as A.A. Bondy is the overwhelming simplicity of it all. It reminds us that music doesn't have to be so damn complicated at the end of the day. Forget the bells and whistles, real shit like this you can feel in your bones and that will never change no matter which way the wind blows the pines.

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